Royal Roads Military College

History

The property owned by industrialist James Dunsmuir, along with his mansion Hatley Castle, was acquired by the Dominion Government in 1940. The initial plan was that the site would be used to house the British royal family during World War II. However, as the Queen Mother put it, "The children will not go without me and I will not go without the King and the King will never go".

Designed to support Canada's naval war effort, the facility began operating in December 1940 as an officer training establishment known as HMCS Royal Roads. Many of the 600 volunteer reserve officers who underwent training during this time served in the Battle of the Atlantic. HMCS Royal Roads was used to train short-term probationary Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) sub-lieutenants to serve in World War II.

In 1942, because of wartime expansion, the Royal Canadian Naval College was established. In 1947, the facility became known as the RCN-RCAF Joint Services College where Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel were trained. The facility changed its name to Canadian Services College, Royal Roads in 1948 where personnel from all three services - the Navy, Air Force, and Army were trained during a two-year program.

In 1968 the college's name was changed to Royal Roads Military College, and in 1975, the college began granting degrees.

The gentlemen cadets of RRMC were not only required to excel in their respective academic fields, but to achieve the standard in the three other components as well, the Second Language Training component, Physical Fitness component and the Military component. Failure in any of these four components resulted in the officer cadet not being awarded the coveted RRMC degree.

In February 1994, after the end of the Cold War and under the pressure of massive spending cuts from the Government of Canada, the Department of National Defence announced that it would close Royal Roads Military College. The final class graduated in May 1995.

Hatley Park and former Royal Roads Military College was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995 to commemorate the Dunsmuir family (1908–1937) and RRMC (1940–1995). The site was plaqued in 2000 as a Canadian example of an Edwardian park, with gardens, which remains practically intact. HMCS Royal Roads is a Canadian naval training centre commissioned on 13 December 1940. This was the first of a series of related institutions to be set up by the Department of National Defence at Hatley Park in Esquimalt, British Columbia.

The name Royal Roads was drawn from geography. The name refers to an anchorage located in Juan de Fuca Strait between the city of Victoria, British Columbia and Albert Bay. HMCS Royal Roads was located on a property originally purchased by James Dunsmuir in 1902. Dunsmuir was a former British Columbian premier and lieutenant governor. The Hatley Park Estate originally comprised 650 acres (2.6 km²). The Dunsmuir family added Hatley Castle, which was completed in 1908. The Canadian Department of National Defence purchased Hatley Park, almost in its entirety, in 1940, for $75,000. This sum was roughly the value of the fence surrounding the property.

As Executive Officer, Commander Reginald Amand (Jumbo) Webber D.S.C., C.D. served there till late 1942. On June 21, 1995, after negotiations with the Department of National Defence and the Government of British Columbia, the British Columbia government passed the Royal Roads University Act, creating Royal Roads University. The campus is currently leased from the federal government under a $1, 50-year lease agreement with Royal Roads University which was announced in 2001. The Department of National Defence leases approximately 55 hectares of land for the campus to Royal Roads University, and has entered into a five-year Renewable Management Agreement with the University for the maintenance of the remaining 175 hectares of property owned by the Department of National Defence.

The athletic facilities at Hatley Park included a swimming pool, five tennis courts, two squash courts, three soccer pitches, one rugby field, two ball diamonds, a quarter- mile track, a 6.1 km cross country course, jetty and boat house. Cadets played sports including rugby, soccer, baseball, golf, scuba diving, track and field, wrestling, ball hockey, broomball, and hockey.

Squadrons of the Cadet Wing

The undergraduate student body, known as the Cadet Wing, was sub-divided into four smaller groupings called squadrons, under the guidance and supervision of senior cadets. Until the late 70's the four squadrons were populated by undergraduate cadets. When the college started training NCMs it was reorganized so that the first three squadrons were for cadets while 4 Squadron was for mature students from the University Training Program Non-Commissioned Members program. Although squadrons were not named, they were represented by embroidered patches bearing mythological figures, which were worn on the sleeves of the cadet workdress. The squadrons were subdivided into flights, which were named after historical figures (explorers). Cadets competed by squadron in drill and intramurals.

Band

By 1955, Royal Roads had a drum and bugle corps. The Brass and Reed Band had already been formed by 1975.

WO George Dunn, the first full-time Bandmaster, served from 1975 to 1979. During WO George Dunn's last year at RRMC, he obtained enough equipment to start up a Pipe Band which performed as a unit along with the Brass and Reed Band. Royal Roads Military College was authorized to form a 15 piece voluntary Pipe Band effective 12 Jan. 1978. The pipe band consisted of 10 Pipers and 5 Drummers, including bass and tenor drums. The Ex-Cadet Club of Canada provided all the kilts in 1978, and the feather bonnets in 1980. The Pipes and Drums performed at parades, public relation trips and recruit shows. The Pipe Section and the Drum Section performed at mess dinners; parades; sporting events; ceremonies (official or squadron); weddings; funerals; public relations; wing events; Christmas and Graduation Balls; private events; and holidays.

PO1 Gabby Bruner served as bandmaster from 1979 to 1985. For the Royal Visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1983 PO1 Gabby Bruner composed a Slow March entitled "Dunsmuir Castle" (1983), an arrangement for the combined bands at RRMC.

The Cadet Pipe Major, OCdt. Daniel V Ferguson [#M0341 RRMC 1986] composed a March appropriately titled "Colonel George Logan" (1983) for the Graduation Parade and departure of the then Commandant Col. George Logan [#3912 RRMC 1957]. Col. Logan presented the Pipe Major with a banner worn on all special occasions and during the yearly Sunset Ceremony and Graduation Parade, which shows the Logan family crest on one side and the Royal Roads College crest on the other.

Since the MacKenzie tartan was initially adopted by RMC, the senior military college, it became the tartan for all military college pipe bands. In 1990, a request to adopt the Clan Murray tartan, was endorsed by NDHQ, in honour of the Dunsmuir Castle. The 1991 Graduation [saw] the Pipe Band in its new Murray tartan.

Capt. John Slater [#12337 RRMC 1979] PPCLI, under the direction of PO Gabby Bruner produced a recording of the Pipes and Drums at RRMC in 1984. It contains "Colonel George Logan" (1983), "Dunsmuir Castle" (1983), as well as some traditional pieces. The band, augmented by Highland Dancers at the Sunset Ceremony, took an active part in the Sunset Ceremony and Graduation Parade during the 5Oth Anniversary celebration in 1990.

The bands performed traditional military, pop, modern and highland music, as well as a few jazz and contemporary numbers. To honour the College, the band played "Hatley Park", composed by PO1 G.R. Bruner, and "Royal Roads Slow (Going Home)" the official quick and slow marches of the Royal Roads Military College, preceded by "The Standard of St. George" (the former unofficial march). The band also played "Dunsmuir Castle" composed by PO1 G.R. Bruner for the royal visit by Queen Elizabeth II to RRMC in 1983.

To honour the academic staff of Canadian Military Colleges, the bands played "March of the Peers: from Iolanthe" (1881) words Sir William S. Gilbert, music Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842–1900), arrangement Bryceson Treharne which opens with a fanfare leading to a swaggering march from Sullivan's "Iolanthe".

To honour the environments, the bands played the Tri-Service March Past: "Heart of Oak" (Maritime Command); "Celer Paratus Callidus" (Land Force Command) and "RCAF March Past" (Air Command). To march on the colours at RRMC parades, they played "The Maple Leaf Forever". During the annual Sunset Ceremony at RRMC, "Pathfinders" was performed during the Precision drill display.

They played "The British Grenadiers", which is the advance in review order, regimental quick march for the Canadian Armed Forces. They played traditional pipes and drums tunes such as "The Skye Boat Song", "Flower of Scotland", "The Barren Rocks of Aden/Mary's Wedding".

To honour the Royal Marines, the band played the slow march "The Globe and Laurel".

Facilities

The Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings lists 9 recognized buildings and 1 classified building on the former grounds of the Royal Roads Military College.

Royal Roads Military College Museum

Hatley Castle is home to the Royal Roads Military College Museum.

The museum is located in Hatley Castle, on the campus of the Royal Roads University and former campus of the Royal Roads Military College of Canada. The Museum mandate is to collect, conserve, research and display material relating to the history of the Royal Roads Military College, its former cadets and its site.

The Royal Roads Military College Museum is a member of the Canadian Museums Association and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada Inc. The Royal Roads Museum is an accredited museum within the Canadian Forces Museum System.

The museum has formed a cooperating association of friends of the museum to assist with projects.

Filming location

The campus of Royal Roads has been used as a film set for:

Books